To the Shores of Tripoli
by suzie2b
Summary: The Rat Patrol is assigned to blow up a naval base.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **To the Shores of Tripoli**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **At breakfast, Troy and Moffitt explained their next assignment.**

 **Hitch asked, "So, how far is it from Tunis to Tripoli?"**

 **Troy said, "As the crow flies it's about 515 kilometers."**

 **Between bites of his eggs Tully said, "Does that mean we're flying in?"**

 **Troy smiled slightly. "Nope."**

 **Tully looked at the sergeant suspiciously. "Driving?"**

 **Troy's smile grew a bit. "No, but you're getting warmer."**

 **Tully's eyes opened wide as realization dawned on him. "Oh no! Why can't we just drive?"**

 **Moffitt said, "Because we have to get into Tripoli without being caught. The jeeps will stand out just a little too much. The boat will take us into the Gulf of Tunis and around Cap Bon peninsula. The captain will drop us at a beach some twenty kilometers from Tripoli."**

 **Tully moaned, "You expect me to go 515 kilometers on a boat?"**

" **Actually it's a bit further than that when you add the distance around the peninsula."**

 **Tully groaned and buried his face in his hands as Hitch grinned and said, "You're looking a little green, Tully."**

 **##################**

 **A plane took the Rat Patrol from Ras Tanura's airfield to the one near Tunis. There they met with Colonel Scott and Captain Tylor. There were maps laid out on a conference table. The colonel put his finger on a spot on the hand drawn map and said, "This is one of the Italian navy's ports. It's the only place in North Africa big enough for ships to dock for supplies and repairs. That's your target."**

 **Captain Tylor indicated a beach on the map and explained, "You'll be dropped off in this area here. Our intel states there are no permanent structures in the area, so you shouldn't be seen from shore. From there you'll have to march the twenty to twenty-four kilometers to Tripoli. The best way is to skirt the coast line. You'll know you're there when you come to a wall. Over the wall you'll cross an area with small sand dunes. You'll then come to a cemetery. Go past it and keep going until you come to a road that leads to their front gate. That's the best way onto the naval base."**

 **Moffitt questioned, "You expect us to walk in through the enemy's front gate?"**

" **The fencing that surrounds the base is a good twelve feet high and wrought iron. I wouldn't suggest trying to go over it." When there was no further comment, Tylor said, "Your main target is the harbor. Anything else you destroy is just icing on the cake."**

 **Troy asked, "How do we get out when we're done?"**

 **Colonel Scott replied, "Go back the way you came. Follow the road. There will a truck waiting for you at the Tunisian border. They've got orders to wait twenty-four hours for you once we've been notified that you've been dropped off. You'll be brought back here."**

 **Moffitt asked, "Why not order an airstrike, sir? The civilian population is far enough away."**

" **There isn't enough available aircraft to do the job at the moment and this can't wait. We need to block that port so there's no access locally for the enemy's ships."**

 **Troy said, "Why not call in our navy, sir?"**

 **Captain Tylor said, "There's a lighthouse on the jetty. Our ships would be spotted before they could get within range to fire."**

 **Colonel Scott said, "Captain Madsen will be taking you on his fishing boat. You'll leave tomorrow at day light. Good luck."**

 **##################**

 **Early the next morning Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully went to the mess hall for breakfast. Troy looked at the mug of coffee that Tully sat down with and said, "You need to eat something."**

 **Tully shrugged. "Why? It's just gonna come back up once we're on the water."**

 **Moffitt smiled and reached into his shirt pocket. He set a small bottle of pills on the table in front of the private. "Take two of those."**

 **Tully picked up the bottle. "What is it?"**

" **I went to medical yesterday evening after supper and picked them up. It's called dimenhydrinate. It's for motion sickness."**

 **Tully smiled for the first time since receiving the news that he'd be on a boat again. "Thanks, doc. When should I take them?"**

" **When we leave here for the docks should work. Now go get some breakfast."**

 **Forty minutes after leaving the mess hall to go to the docks they were boarding a small fishing vessel. Hitch looked at Tully and asked, "Did you take those pills?"**

 **Tully nodded. "I hope they work."**

 **Captain Madsen said, "All right, you men take a seat out of the way. We are going to cast off now."**

 **The captain started shouting orders to his two deckhands. Ropes were untied and hauled in as the engine was started. Soon enough they were chugging out of the Gulf of Tunis to round the Cap Bon peninsula, and head into the Mediterranean.**

 **The sea was calm compared to the last time they had to use a boat for a mission, but there was still some rolling motion. About a half hour into the trip Moffitt knelt next to Tully where he was sitting on the deck next to the pilothouse. "Doing all right, Tully?"**

" **Yeah. So far so good. Thanks again for the pills."**

 **They were nearly half way to the drop off point when the captain sudden appeared and said, "The Italians are patrolling the waters. Quickly! Get below and stay quiet!"**

 **One of the deckhands opened a hatch and Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully dropped into a hold that would normally be full of fish. A few minutes later their boat powered down and they heard Captain Madsen say impatiently, "We are simple fishermen! Why do you bother us?"**

 **In an Italian accented voice the other captain said, "These waters are patrolled for a reason. We must be sure you are not smuggling contraband. My men will board your vessel and search."**

" **I will not give permission for you to come aboard! Now leave us alone!"**

" **I must insist, captain!"**

 **Before the Italian captain could give the order to board the other boat, the patrol's radio came to life. "Torre di avvistamento al capitano Mancini. Venite in si prega."**

 **The captain went to the radio and answered, "Questo è il Capitano Mancini torre di guardia. Oltre."**

" **Stiamo ricevendo una chiamata di emergenza da una barca a circa cinquanta miglia dalla nostra sponda occidentale. Oltre."**

 **With a frustrated sigh Captain Mancini said, "Tutto il di destra. Siamo sul nostro cammino. Su e." Then he turned to face Captain Madsen. "This is your lucky day. We must answer a distress call. I had better not find out later you are carrying something other than fish, captain."**

 **Captain Madsen waved the other off with an angry "Bah!" As soon as the patrol boat was far enough away, he gave the order to let Troy and his men out of the hold.**

 **##################**

 **Two small rafts were quickly paddled to shore as Captain Madsen turned his fishing boat around and left the area. The rafts were deflated and hidden. The only things Troy and his men carried were their weapons, along with six canvas bags that held the explosives and timers they were to use.**

 **It was almost midday when they got to the deserted stretch of beach and they found that if they stayed close to the beach as Captain Tylor suggested, there was no cover. They had to go inland about one and a half kilometers to where the brush and tree line started next to a dirt road. The last thing they needed was to be seen by an Italian patrol or any locals.**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully walked the twenty plus kilometers in about five hours. When they were within sight of the wall they hunkered down to wait for dark.**

 **##################**

 **The moon reflected off the sea as they went over the wall. Per Captain Tylor's instructions they moved past the dunes until they came to a cemetery. It was eerily silent as they made their way past the graveyard that was surrounded by a tall, spiked wrought iron fence. From there they had to pass through an open area to get to the road that would lead them to the gate and onto the naval base.**

 **They followed the road until they saw the lights of the guardhouse. On Troy's signal Moffitt and Tully made their way silently to the small building and peered in through a window. There were two guards on duty. They were having a relaxing conversation as they played cards. One had his back to the window, the other was facing the window, but not paying attention.**

 **Moffitt and Tully crept around to the open door. On a silent count of three they both stood up in the doorway. Moffitt smiled and said, "Buona sera."**

 **Both guards were so surprised that they hesitated before reaching for their holstered guns. That was all the time Moffitt and Tully needed to step in and crack their skulls with the butts of their machine guns.**

 **As Moffitt signaled Troy and Hitch, Tully whispered, "What did you say to them?"**

 **Moffitt smiled slightly. "I wished them a good evening."**

 **Once they were inside, their targets were in sight as the moonlight turned the darkness silver and indigo. There was a long pier where an armed Italian escort ship was tied up. A smaller pier closer to shore was where the patrol boats were docked. Between the shore and the manmade jetty there was a spit of sand.**

 **They ducked down behind some oil drums as a guard went by. Troy whispered, "Tully, you and Hitch break into those buildings and set charges. Moffitt and I will take the piers and jetty. Once you've set your charges get back to the wall. We'll meet you there."**

 **Tully nodded. "Right, sarge. Let's go, Hitch."**

 **The two privates headed off, leaving Troy and Moffitt to make their way to the beach with four bags of explosives.**

 **##################**

 **At the first building, Hitch and Tully saw a sign over the door that read "Sede centrale". They quickly went around to the back and Tully used one of his master keys to open the door. Inside there were offices and all the accoutrements that told them this was base headquarters.**

 **Silently and carefully Hitch and Tully went about setting half of the charges in the bags they carried. They set the timers and left.**

 **The sign over the door at the next building read "** **Magazzino di alimentazione". They had to go over a wooden fence to get to the back and found drums of fuel and oil. Inside they discovered the Italians supply depot.**

 **After setting charges among the ammunition and supplies, Hitch and Tully went out the way they'd come in. Outside Hitch stopped Tully and held up one last explosive and timer. He went to the drums of fuel and oil, set the timer on the charge, and then they climbed over the fence to head back to the gate.**

 **##################**

 **Troy and Moffitt got to the first pier. Moffitt said, "I'll set the charges on the docks. I'll use the boats and that ship for a little extra excitement."**

 **Troy nodded. "I'll go out and start at the lighthouse at the end of the jetty. I'll set charges on my way back."**

 **Moffitt gave a nod and quickly went out onto the smaller of the two piers to get started. Troy ran out across the spit of sand to the jetty and the lighthouse.**

 **Moffitt set charges along the pier and in the two patrol boats that were docked there. Then he moved to the longer pier. He set charges along its length, then, not wanting to board the escort ship, Moffitt used duct tape that he'd brought along to attach the charges to the hull. The ship wouldn't be destroyed, but there would be a good amount of damage.**

 **The lighthouse wasn't locked so Troy went inside to set several charges in hopes of bringing the building down, or at least damage it extensively so it would be inoperable. As he started back across the jetty, he methodically set charges where he thought the most damage would occur.**

 **With the charges set to blow, Troy and Moffitt met up and headed for the front gate.**

 **##################**

 **Hitch and Tully got to the gate in time to see two replacement guards discover the two that were dead inside. Tully whispered, "We'll have to go over the fence."**

 **Hitch said, "You mean the one that Captain Tylor said we shouldn't try to to go over?"**

" **That's the one."**

 **They found a spot where the fence passed behind the buildings they'd just set explosives in. Tully slung his machine gun over his shoulder to climb the twelve foot wrought iron fence—at least this one didn't have spikes at the top—while Hitch kept an eye out for guards. As Tully dropped to the ground on the other side, they heard an alarm begin to wail.**

 **Tully kept watch as Hitch began his climb. Just as he reached the top and started over, a gunshot rang out as several shadowy shapes came into view. Without hesitation Tully cut the guards down with machine gun fire.**

 **Hitch hit the ground in a heap and Tully asked as he helped his friend up, "You okay?"**

 **Hitch replied through gritted teeth, "Bullet caught me in the leg."**

 **Tully put an arm around him for support. "Let's go before more guards show up."**

 **##################**

 **When Troy and Moffitt heard the alarm they headed for the sliver of beach that would take them past the guardhouse and off the base unseen.**

 **Tully helped Hitch to the ground at the bottom of the wall and knelt next to him to check the wound in his thigh. He pulled Hitch's belt off and secured it above the wound, then took his kerchief from a pocket to use as a bandage. "Looks like the bullet went through just above your knee and missed the artery."**

 **That's when the first of the charges went off. Seconds later another set went off. They could hear the ammunition and fuel explode as a ball of fire could be seen rising in the distance.**

 **Tully stood up as he spotted two figures running in their direction through the dunes. He held his gun at the ready just in case it wasn't Troy and Moffitt.**

 **As the sergeants came to a stop next to the privates, they heard the explosions as the piers and jetty blew up. They couldn't see it, but the lighthouse began to crumble as its base exploded.**

 **Troy said, "Let's get over this wall and head for our rendezvous."**

 **Tully said, "Hitch was hit in the leg."**

" **How bad?"**

" **Went through the outer part of his thigh above the knee. Messy, but not as serious as it could be."**

" **Okay, you and Moffitt go up first to help Hitch over."**

 **Moffitt laced his fingers together and boosted Tully up, then Troy did the same for Moffitt. When they were ready Troy reached down to help Hitch to his feet, saying, "Your turn."**

 **Hitch stood up and kept his weight off his wounded leg until he had to put the foot of his uninjured leg in Troy's hands for a boost. He reached up and caught Moffitt and Tully's hands for them to haul him up. Once Hitch was safely on the ground on the other side, Moffitt and Tully reached down for Troy.**

 **##################**

 **The walk towards the Tunisian border was slow and arduous. Hitch was in pain and limping badly as Moffitt and Tully took turns helping him walk. Then there was the activity on the road as the Italians looked for the ones who managed to destroy their base and harbor.**

 **The sun was coming up and they were in the cover alongside the road so Hitch could take a break. Troy said, "We have a long way to go to get to the border and not a lot of time left."**

 **Hitch said, "I'll do better, sarge. I'll just grit my teeth…"**

 **Troy smiled at the resilient young man. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of getting a ride."**

 **Moffitt said, "To do that we'd have to backtrack to the base."**

 **Troy shook his head. "We've been seeing the Italian patrols on a pretty regular basis since we blew the base. According to my calculations there should be another one along shortly."**

" **How do you suggest we stop them? Stand in the road and demand their car?"**

" **Something like that."**

 **Troy sent Moffitt back to the last bend in the road to watch for the patrol. Shortly they saw Moffitt give them a wave and Troy said, "There's the signal. Get out there."**

 **Tully looked out at the dirt road. "What if they don't stop?"**

" **I'll just have to shoot 'em, won't I. Now get going."**

 **Tully sighed, then looked both ways to make sure it was clear before running out to the middle of the road and laying down.**

 **Troy watched as Moffitt started to make his way back to the others. A moment later the patrol car rounded the bend. Troy held his breath, hoping he wasn't about to see Tully get run over. However, the car slid to a stop a couple of feet short of hitting the private.**

 **There were four armed Italian soldiers in the car. One of them got out and went to the front to see who was laying in the road. He kicked Tully in the leg, but got no response. He looked at his three comrades and shrugged. "Morti americani." When he looked back at Tully, there was a pistol pointed at his head.**

 **That's when Troy and Moffitt stepped out of hiding with machine guns at the ready. "You okay, Tully?"**

 **The private got to his feet. "A little closer than I'd like, but I'm fine, sarge."**

 **As the Italians put their hands in the air, Troy said, "Find something to tie them up with."**

 **As he walked by, Tully returned the pistol to Troy and went to the trunk of the car. He found a medical kit, blankets, water, and a loaded pistol, which he put in his belt … but no rope. Tully looked from Troy to Moffitt. "I'm open to suggestions."**

 **Moffitt said, "There's a roll of duct tape in that bag I dropped over by Hitch."**

 **While Tully went to retrieve the tape, Hitch sat in the cover of the bushes at the side of the road. He caught sight of one of the Italians slowly lowering his hands and then the end of the barrel of a rifle came into view. Hitch fired a short burst from his machine gun, killing the man instantly.**

 **With the three remaining Italians bound hand and foot, and sitting in the middle of the road, Moffitt and Tully got Hitch into the car as Troy dragged the dead man out of the back. Tully got them to their rendezvous at the Tunisian border with little time to spare.**

 **The two Americans waiting for them were relieved they'd made it. One said, "I'm Sergeant Hillard. Glad you made it. We were beginning to wonder if you got out okay." He looked at the man with him. "This is Private Cook. Go help with the wounded man."**

 **Troy watched Tully and Cook help Hitch into the back of the truck while Moffitt gathered the supplies out of the car's trunk. He would be able to give Hitch further first-aid along the way. Troy said, "I'm glad we made it too. I didn't relish the idea of driving back to Tunis in an Italian patrol car."**

 **##################**

 **In Tunis Hitch was taken to the base hospital for treatment. Once they were sure he was being taken care of, Troy, Moffitt, and Tully reported to Colonel Scott.**

 **The colonel smiled. "Our spotter planes have reported that the harbor and a good portion of the base was destroyed. Good work, Sergeant Troy."**

" **Thank you, sir. When does our ride back to Ras Tanura leave?"**

" **In a hurry?"**

 **Troy smiled. "Just looking forward to getting back where we belong, sir."**

 **Colonel Scott chuckled softly. "Prefer the desert over the sea, I take it."**

 **Tully said, "Personally, I prefer jeeps to boats, sir."**

" **Well, we can have a plane ready to take you and your men back to your base some time tomorrow … provided your wounded man is released from the hospital that soon."**

 **Moffitt smiled. "Luckily Private Hitchcock wasn't too seriously wounded, colonel. I'm sure he'll be up on crutches in no time."**

 **Troy said, "Provided he hasn't attached himself to a pretty nurse already."**


End file.
